Developing Unit Gear Train Simplification for Jitter Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electrophotographic image forming apparatuses have complex gear systems that increase the likelihood of malfunctions, size, and manufacturing cost, leading to non-uniform photoconductor rotation and resulting in image quality issues like jitter.
Innovation Solution
A developing unit with a simple gear train using a single idle gear and coaxial gear portions of different diameters to reduce the complexity and number of gears, ensuring efficient rotation of rotary components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple idle gears are used to drive rotary components, then all components can be driven, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple gear-driving functions into a single integrated gear structure. The photoconductor gear simultaneously engages with the developer roller gear and the toner supply roller gear, eliminating the need for separate idle gears. This merging of functions directly reduces the number of components while maintaining the ability to drive all necessary rotary components.
Solution Approach 2:
The photoconductor gear is designed to serve multiple functions: it drives the developer roller, drives the toner supply roller, and maintains proper timing relationships between all components. This multi-functional design allows a single gear to replace what would traditionally require multiple gears and idle components.
2Reliability
If multiple idle gears are used to drive rotary components, then all components can be driven, but the size and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple gear-driving functions into a single integrated gear structure. The photoconductor gear simultaneously engages with the developer roller gear and the toner supply roller gear, eliminating the need for separate idle gears. This merging of functions directly reduces the number of components while maintaining the ability to drive all necessary rotary components.
3Reliability
If multiple idle gears are used to drive rotary components, then all components can be driven, but the photoconductor rotates at non-uniform speed causing jitter
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple gear-driving functions into a single integrated gear structure. The photoconductor gear simultaneously engages with the developer roller gear and the toner supply roller gear, eliminating the need for separate idle gears. This merging of functions directly reduces the number of components while maintaining the ability to drive all necessary rotary components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes the idle gears from the gear train, eliminating the source of timing errors and non-uniform rotation. By taking out these intermediate components, the direct engagement between the photoconductor gear and other gears ensures more precise and uniform rotation of the photoconductor.
Data Source
AI summary
A developing unit and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus with the same, the developing unit having a simple structure for driving internal rotary components. In the developing unit, a photoconductor gear is formed on a side of a photoconductor to be rotated by an external driving force, a developer roller gear is formed on a side of a developer roller and engaged with the photoconductor gear to be rotated by the photoconductor gear, an idle gear is engaged with the developer roller gear to be rotated by the developer roller gear, a toner-supply roller gear is formed on a side of a toner-supply roller and engaged with the idle gear to be rotated by the idle gear, and an agitator gear is formed on a side of an agitator and engaged with the toner-supply roller gear to be rotated by the toner-supply roller gear.